No matter what industry your business is based in, all entrepreneurs and small business owners share one thing in common – the desire to see their business grow and become more profitable. In most cases, this drive leads to a focus on looking out for new markets or finding new ways to attract new customers. And yet, few business owners consider the importance that growing and developing their team of employees plays in helping their company to achieve greater prosperity and stability.

Indeed, in a recent survey among owners of the fastest growing small businesses in North America, over 77% of respondents said that “hiring the right people” played a significant role in their company’s ability to grow. Of course, many entrepreneurs and small business owners don’t start their companies so they can be in a position to lead others. Instead, most embrace the entrepreneurial spirit in order to ‘be their own boss’ and not to become someone else’s.

This is probably why many treat the hiring of new employees as if they were securing another vendor in their product supply chain. In other words, business owners tend to simply look for someone to pass off some of the issues they face in getting their products/services out into the hands of their customers. While this approach can help provide some short term gains, it prevents business owners from understanding the value employees offer to the future growth of their company.

So how can business owners develop a team of employees that will help propel the growth of their companies? Here are some tips on where to begin. Click here to continue reading »”How To Build Your Team For Success”

When I was growing up, my parents would often share with me the stories and parables they were told as children back in India. One of my favourites was the story of the blind men and the elephant. In the story, six blind men were asked to describe what an elephant is just by touching it. One by one, the blind men touched the animal and said an elephant was like a tree branch, a rope, a fan, a pillar, a pipe and a wall. Confused over who was right, the blind men were told that the reason for their different answers was because they had touched different parts of the animal, namely it’s trunk, tail, ear, leg, tusk and belly. As a parable, the message is clear that we must never lose sight of the fact that our perception of the world around us can be very limited, preventing us from understanding the bigger landscape.

In the context of the challenges facing businesses today, this story bears some valuable messages for leaders facing the question of how to ensure their company’s continued growth and viability in the years ahead. Like the blind men in this tale, many different ideas/solutions are being handed out to explain how to address the current challenges companies face today.

In some circles, innovation is being pushed as Click here to continue reading »”Will Businesses See The Elephant In The Bigger Picture?”

Photo courtesy of curtis.kennington

This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to appear as a guest on the Real Recognition Radio show, which airs every Tuesday at 1PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the VoiceAmerica Business channel.  In this week’s episode, titled “A Better Workplace Conversation”, hosts Roy Saunderson and S. Max Brown interviewed feedback expert Sonia Di Maulo and myself on the issues of leadership, workplace interactions and fostering motivation in employees (Sonia has written a follow-up piece about our interview on her blog.  I invite you to check it out and find out what key points stood out from this discussion).

For those who didn’t get a chance to hear the radio broadcast, or who’d like to hear the show again, you can listen to the interview using the audio player below.  Or if you prefer, you can download a MP3 copy of the show from the Real Recognition Radio show web page.

Some of the topics discussed during this show include:

• Why giving positive feedback is critical to creating a productive workplace.
• How listening can foster opportunities for growth.
• Why the best leaders are those who focus on serving those they lead.
• The importance of praise and recognition in the workplace and how we can start implementing it today.
• How we can engage our employees in these tough economic times.
• Why leaders should encourage a more emotional workplace.
• What are the most important opportunities facing organizations today.

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I want to take this opportunity to thank Roy Saunderson and S. Max Brown for inviting me to appear on their show.  It was a pleasure to share my insights on leadership and motivating employees with your listeners.  And I look forward to hearing your thoughts about this conversation on leadership and motivating employees.

What ideas resonated with you and what would you add to the discussion on these issues?

I would like to invite all of you to listen to my interview on the Real Recognition Radio show, found on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel, which will air Tuesday, March 16th at 1 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST).

The episode, titled “A Better Workplace Conversation”, will feature myself, along with feedback expert Sonia Di Maulo, discussing some of the issues facing today’s workplace and what leaders can do to improve the performance and productivity of their workforce.

Real Recognition Radio is hosted by S. Max Brown and Roy Saunderson of the Recognition Management Institute. The show focuses on the importance of recognition and appreciation in the workplace and through their guests, offers insights and ideas on what companies can do to improve their workplace culture and with it, employee morale.

Real Recognition Radio has already hosted such renowned speakers as John Hope Bryant, author of the bestselling book “Love Leadership” and in upcoming shows will be interviewing many industry leaders and thinkers including leadership authors Jim Kouzes, Michael Stallard and Jason Pankau, Dr. Matthew J. Grawitch, Dr. David W. Ballard, and Dr. Don Schultz to name but a few.

It’s truly an honour to be included in such an incredible list of guests and I hope you will check out both my interview, which will air Tuesday, March 16th at 1PM EST on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel website, as well as these upcoming shows for the wealth of information that will be offered on leadership and the workplace.

NOTE: I’ll be posting a piece about this interview later this week which will include a streaming version of this broadcast for my readers to listen to here on my blog.